Conventional outdoor landscape lighting fixtures or systems may be used to illuminate objects such as landscapes, bushes, trees, rock gardens, and fountains. These conventional systems may include quartz lighting systems, solar powered systems, and other conventional low power systems. Power consumption is an important issue with these systems because homeowners and other consumers who utilize such systems can incur substantial expenses. As a result, consumers recognize a need for more efficient lighting systems for economic and environmental reasons.
Quartz lighting systems typically utilize quartz light projectors and quartz lights, which are particularly inefficient with respect to power consumption. In fact, a single quartz fixture may only draw 40 watts of power at 12 VAC, and the typical lifespan for such a fixture is only 2-3 years before replacement is required. Quartz lights are also hot to touch and can burn skin with direct contact. Quartz light projectors do not have the ability to dim, to change colors on command, or to produce mood lighting.
Solar powered lighting fixtures, in particular, must be recharged and have a limited number of recharging cycles. Typically, solar cells are limited to 500-1000 recharging cycles, which limits their life to 2-4 years. These solar cells may have limited brightness, due to their storage capacity and ambient charging conditions, which may be insufficient to allow the solar cells to illuminate landscape trees, walls, or waterfalls.
Other drawbacks with conventional low power systems is the fact that they can be incompatible with existing systems that use conventional 12 VAC outdoor outlets. Similarly, conventional low power systems are typically mounted or stabilized using posts, stakes, or other means to ensure that they stay at desired positions in an outdoor environment. These systems may be unsightly, due to their inability to blend in with background environment, and may be disturbed by high winds, heavy rains, or animal accidents. The posts, stakes, etc. may be easy to spot and difficult to maneuver around when cutting lawns and trimming walkways.
Outdoor lighting systems often utilize artificial rocks that have artificial exteriors that include resins, artificial coloring, or other similar effects. These surfaces may be subject to bleaching, cracking, or other damage associated with outdoor exposure. The systems can include lightweight material that is insufficient to withstand high winds. These systems often include unsightly solar cells that can be damaged by outdoor exposure. These systems do not work under water or near waterfalls.